Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.

America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.

Built from the ground up for the latest hardware, Red Dead Online blends the classic multiplayer of the original Red Dead Redemption with the best of everything we have learned since then about creating deep multiplayer experiences. The result is something completely new and fun, and an experience that will continue to expand and evolve over time as we gain valuable feedback from our community in the Beta period.

Now that everyone has had a chance over the past month to experience the story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2, it is time to begin the beta period for Red Dead Online.

Built from the ground up for the latest hardware, Red Dead Online blends the classic multiplayer of the original Red Dead Redemption with the best of everything we have learned since then about creating deep multiplayer experiences. The result is something completely new and fun, and an experience that will continue to expand and evolve over time.

With the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption 2 as its foundation, Red Dead Online transforms the vast and deeply detailed landscapes, cities, towns and habitats of Red Dead Redemption 2 into a new, living online world ready to be shared by multiple players. Create and customize your character, tailor your abilities to suit your play style and head out into a new frontier full of things to experience.

Explore the world solo or with friends. Form or join a Posse to ride with up to seven players; gather around the fire at your Camp; head out hunting or fishing; visit bustling towns; battle enemy gangs and attack their hideouts; hunt for treasure; take on missions and interact with familiar characters from across the five states; or fight against other outlaws in both spontaneous skirmishes and pitched set-piece battles; compete with other players or whole Posses in open world challenges and much more.

Hot on the heels of last week’s major update comes more new content for Red Dead Online, with this week’s gameplay additions including new Free Roam Missions featuring fan favorites from the Red Dead Redemption 2 story, Sadie Adler and the gunslinger Black Belle.

PlayStation 4 players will also gain early access to the Ancient Tomahawk weapon, two new Showdown Modes in the form of Make It Count: Ancient Tomahawk and Last Stand, along with early access to the new Perlino Andalusian Horse, new horse equipment, clothing and emotes.

This week, any Red Dead Online player will receive a 25% increase in payouts across all A Land of Opportunity Missions, Free Roam Missions, Showdown Modes, Races and Free Roam Events, while players that join a posse will earn 5 bonus Gold Bars along with bonus RDO$ and XP while playing together.

New Free Roam Missions

Last week, we added the first of many new Free Roam Missions, with new mission types and some new characters to meet along the way. This week, two fan favorites from the Red Dead Redemption 2 story join the cast of characters in the market for a helping hand in the world of Red Dead Online.

Ride out to the Adler Ranch in Ambarino or search out the infamous gunslinger Black Belle in Lemoyne for new Free Roam Missions to play in Red Dead Online for both PS4 and Xbox One.

PS4 Early Access Content

This week's updates also include new Early Access content for players on PlayStation 4 including the devastating Ancient Tomahawk along with a new Make It Count: Ancient Tomahawk Showdown Mode. There's also Last Stand, a bloody free-for-all Showdown Mode with no way out, no second chances and one winner. PlayStation 4 players will also get early access to the new Perlino Andalusian Horse and new horse equipment, clothing and emotes. For more details, visit the PlayStation Blog.

New Clothing in The Catalogue

The Clothing section of the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue has new options on offer, including the Wescott Skirt, Valdez Vest, Citadel Boots, and limited stock of the Plaid Cap.

RDO$, Gold and Posse Bonuses

In addition to 25% RDO$ and Gold increased payouts for all A Land of Opportunities Missions, Free Roam Missions, Showdown Modes, Races and Free Roam Events – playing in a Posse this week at any point will earn you 5 bonus Gold Bars. There are a number of benefits to playing in a Posse beyond this week’s 5 bonus Gold Bars, including bonus RDO$ and XP when playing together, and the ability to bring an entire Posse into Free Roam Events, Competitive Challenges, or Showdown Series.

Latest Fixes

We continue to work behind the scenes to address overall game stability and performance with recent fixes including closing some duplication exploits, resolving issues related to reduced numbers of animals in sessions, updating Defensive mode to revert Playing Style to Offensive and apply a Hostility penalty when stealing cargo from another player’s horse and more.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available for PS4 and Xbox One.